Architectural columns prefabricated, for example, out of fiber reinforced polymer composites are commonly used to add style and elegance to a house or other building structures including porches, balconies, pool enclosures, decks, gazebos, courtyards and patios or the like. Such columns may also be tapered to make them architecturally correct, may be made in a wide range of designs, sizes and shapes including round or square, and may be used for either interior or exterior applications. Capitals and bases of different designs and styles may also be prefabricated out of the same or similar materials as the architectural columns for use with the columns to add elegance and accents to the columns.
Typically these columns are shipped and stored in cardboard type cartons. If the columns are tapered, some type of packing must be used to support the smaller ends of the columns inside the cartons. Otherwise, the cartons can't be stacked on top of one another, since the stacking load would crush the ends of the cartons housing the smaller ends of the columns, making them unstable for stacking. Heretofore cardboard and foam fillers were commonly used as the packing material.